Tennessee football freshman tight end Jack Van Dorselaer played just six snaps and didn’t catch a pass in the Vols’ win at Mississippi State. He still managed to make a massive impact on the game, though.
Down seven late, quarterback Joey Aguilar took a designed run behind him into the end zone to tie the game. Van Dorselaer stuck his block in open space to allow Aguilar to score.
In overtime, he was asked again to make a crucial block. He stepped up on the edge to allow DeSean Bishop to break free for the 25-yard touchdown that would ultimately be the difference.
“It was super cool,” Van Dorselaer said. “We always talk about being ready vs. prepared. I feel like for that moment I was prepared to go out there and do what they asked me to do at a high level. It was cool kicking that guy out and watching D Bish go run down and score. It was a good time.”
One thing to note about Tennessee’s win over Ms State: True freshman tight end Jack Van Dorselaer made key blocks on Joey Aguilar’s game tying TD run and on DeSean Bishop’s TD run in overtime pic.twitter.com/JAj3gfZYRc
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 28, 2025
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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel also realized the impact Van Dorselaer had. It was something, along with the play of fellow freshman David Sanders Jr., that Heupel pointed out to the team.
“Yeah, another guy I pointed out being prepared for his opportunities, played great on special teams,” Heupel said. “His reps on offense did a great job in the core. He was a big part of the overtime play where we spring a run. Played with violence, speed and technique and created space there for DeSean. Score at the end of the game, outside quarterback zone, does a great job. He’s a young guy that he’s handled himself with great maturity and continues to get better, but he’s prepared and love the growth that we’ve seen from him.”
Van Dorselaer’s role increased with Ethan Davis sidelined with an injury for the second straight game. Now, Tennessee has an open date to get healthy, including Davis.
The Vols will then play Arkansas at home against interim Head Hog Bobby Petrino. Kickoff is at 4:15 p.m. ET and will air on the SEC Network. Even if Davis is back, Van Dorselaer has begun to carve out a role as an effective blocker, particularly out of the backfield.
